Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel Bennett.
Hi Joel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started as a professor, consultant, and later research scientist (at TCU). Received close to $6M in grants for workplace wellness and substance abuse prevention, member of Tech Fort Worth. Found our programs worked and switched to my own business in 2002-have reached over 250,000 adults in workplace, miliitary, and more.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Great ride but lots of ups and downs of course
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Since 1990, Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS) has been a science-based consulting and training service in the area of Integral Organizational Wellness™. The workplace—large or small—plays an important role in the well-being of working adults as well as their families. Our Mission
We catalyze healthy work cultures from the inside out with science.
From Stress to Resilience to Thriving
Workplaces function at different levels of well-being. We help you identify current, and move to next, and future levels.
Our Process
Each work setting is unique. That is why we collaborate with you to DISCOVER your own unique potential. We then CUSTOMIZE from our library of proven programs. Next, with your own empowered involvement, we IMPLEMENT the optimal service. Along the way, we EVALUATE how things are going and make adjustments to ensure engagement.
Our Programs
OWLS programs target team resilience, healthy leadership, wellness champions, improved climate, and improved mental well-being. We often build a customized program that’s built around your organization’s unique needs.
Our Outcomes
OWLS has received over $5 Million in funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. We are grateful that this funding helped us to design, implement, and evaluate outcomes with dozens of workplaces in diverse industries. Primary outcomes include reduced substance misuse, enhanced productivity, reduced stress, and improved mental well-being. Many of these outcomes just don’t emerge within individuals but also in the team or organization as a whole.
Our Values
Integrity. It’s all about walking-the-talk.
Evidence-Based. We will show proof from clinical trials or reliable results across diverse settings.
Collaborative. The dream is in the team, and from a trusted and strategic partnership.
Creative. Let’s design, tweak, customize, brain-storm, innovate, experiment, discover, and grow in the process.
Thoughtful. No quick fixes here! Deliberation. Discernment. Mindfulness.
Responsive. We like to show agility, to pivot, and remain heedful throughout the process.
More About OWLS
There is a positive feedback loop between individual health and overall organizational health. When individual workers are healthy, know how to manage stress and time, or are simply “in balance,” then teamwork or team “spirit” is positive and energetic. The atmosphere or climate at work can also feel more vital, friendly, and socially healthy. The work climate may also be “healthy” for a number of reasons such as good communication, fairness, respect, good benefits, or simply the presence of a positive and strong leader. When a work climate is healthy, there is a greater chance that employees will also be healthy.
Our purpose at OWLS is to help businesses understand, improve, and maintain the positive feedback system between worker health and total organizational health. All our work is based on scientific research and is customized to meet your unique set of needs, risks, and current level of wellness. We use a variety of tools to help, including: employee surveys, culture audits, workshops, coaching at all levels (worker to executive), team retreats, design of assessment or performance appraisal systems, and policy development. OWLS’ previous clients include organizations in these areas: federal and local governments, military, hospitality/hotel, healthcare, construction, police and 9-1-1, professional organizations, and higher education. Our president, Dr. Joel B. Bennett, is available for public speaking.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
We hope to a greater focus and return to real person live interaction and a recognition that the dangers of digital and technophilia outweight their benefits.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.organizationalwellness.com
